Flushable wipe and method of forming the same

ABSTRACT

A multi-ply flushable wipe includes a ply having first and second exterior layers and a middle layer disposed therebetween. Each of the exterior layers includes at least 50% by weight natural fibers. When foam-formed, the middle layer includes at least 25% by weight natural fibers. In embodiments, the middle layer may include at least 75% by weight natural fibers. The middle layer also includes synthetic fibers that have a length within the range of 1 mm and 20 mm. The wipe may have a length weight weighted average fiber length of less than 4 mm and a wet CD strength of greater than 20 N/m. Each ply of the wipe may be formed by wetlaying the first and second exterior layers and a foam formed middle layer to form a web, imprinting the web with a structured fabric, and drying the web. The plies are then attached using a binder.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser.No. 61/994,563 filed May 16, 2014, and entitled “WIPE AND METHOD OFFORMING THE SAME,” which is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to wipes, and in particular to wipeshaving one or more multi-layer plies, such as disposable, hygienicwipes.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, a growing number of people have begun to use valueadded consumer disposable items like facial cleaning wipes, moisttowelettes, personal hygiene wipes, and time-saving products likehousehold cleaning wipes. The market for wipes is forecast to risesignificantly in the coming years.

Once dominated by baby care, the wipes market has branched out intoapplications targeted for specific uses like personal hygiene andhousehold cleansing. Personal care wipes currently representapproximately 60% of the North American market for wipes and isinclusive of baby wipes, various targeted personal hygiene cleansingwipes (hands, face, wounds, flushable adult wipes), feminine hygiene,and adult incontinence. Household wipes currently representapproximately 25% of the market and are inclusive of targeted cleansingwipes for the kitchen, bathroom, windows, and even automobiles.Industrial wipes represent the remaining approximately 15% of the marketand are used for industrial equipment cleaning.

A key consumer demand is for greener or more eco-friendly wipe products.This necessitates developing biodegradable products with minimalenvironmental footprint through all levels of the supply chain,including raw materials, packaging, transportation, and overallmanufacturing operations.

“Flushability” has become a critical issue for wipes manufacturers aswell. Wastewater treatment facilities have been focusing their attentionon wipes as they are clogging piping and pumps at the treatment plants.INDA has been working with wipes manufacturers, wastewater treatmentfacilities and local government officials to address this growing issue.

Utilization of the appropriate technology and fiber sources to createwipe products that are low cost, eco-friendly, and of high quality aretherefore mandatory for success in today's marketplace.

Currently available flushable wipe products are not truly flushablebecause they do not disperse well in all conditions that wipes encounterin the household toilet/septic systems. Most of these products aresize-based flushable wipes and pass through plumbing systems withoutbreaking down into smaller pieces or fiber clusters. As a result, eventhough they pass through the piping systems immediately after flushing,they often plug up the sewage systems and the effluent clarifier'scontrolled by the city/municipal systems. In addition, the fibers usedin the manufacture of these types of products are not all naturalfibers. Almost every flushable product available has a significantamount of synthetic fibers, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, orpolyester, in the form of single component or bicomponent fibers. Almostall products that are claimed as flushable wipes may pass the INDAflushability guidelines but are not truly flushable because they do notdisperse adequately to pass through smaller pipes and other types ofrestrictions in sewage treatment systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a true flushable wipethat disintegrates when flushed and does not plug up city/municipalsewage systems (i.e., the wipe is septic safe).

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flushable wipethat is biodegradable.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flushable wipethat includes a binder that allows the wipe to be pre-moistened withoutlosing its functional strength properties.

A flushable wipe according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention is a three layer wipe having external layers and an internal,core layer. The external layers are composed primarily of naturalfibers, and in an exemplary embodiment the external layers are made upof 50% to 100% by weight natural fibers. The core layer is composed of afoam-formed fiber blend of natural fibers and long synthetic fibers. Thesynthetic fibers are non-thermoplastic fibers. In an exemplaryembodiment, the core layer is made up of 25% to 75% by weight naturalfibers and 1% to 75% by weight long synthetic fibers. The basis weightof the wipe is within the range of 20 gsm to 100 gsm.

A flushable wipe according to another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention has more than four layers, with each layer containinga mixture of cellulosic fiber and bi-component fibers. The flushablewipe may contain water soluble binders with a trigger component. Thistrigger component is a controlled concentration of salt in the wettingsolution that insolubilizes the binder and allows it to function as anadhesive for the substrate. When the controlled concentration of salt isdiluted, the binder becomes soluble and starts to drop strength below acritical level.

A flushable wipe according to another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention has two layers, where the first layer is spun or meltblown with the forming wire stretched and de-stretched during theproduction process to give the substrate some stretch. The second layeris foam formed and the fibers are much smaller than the first layer andthe two layers are plied via hydroentangling.

In embodiments, the flushable wipe of the present invention may besingle ply. In other embodiments, the flushable wipe may comprise two ormore plies.

The present invention also encompasses a method of manufacturing suchflushable wipes and an apparatus for manufacturing such flushable wipes.

In embodiments, a multi-ply flushable wipe comprises two or more plieswith at least one of the two or more plies comprising first and secondexterior layers and a foam-formed middle layer disposed between thefirst and second exterior layers. Each of the exterior layers comprisesat least 50% by weight natural fibers. The middle layer comprisessynthetic fibers and at least 25% by weight natural fibers, thesynthetic fibers having a length within the range of 1 mm and 20 mm. Inembodiments, at least one of the first and second exterior layers isalso foam formed. The at least one other ply of the wipe may besubstantially identical in structure to the at least one ply.

The natural fibers of the multi-ply flushable wipe may comprise fibersof the type selected from the group consisting of: softwood fibers,hardwood fibers, elephant grass, nettle, buntal, buri, soybean protein,milvet milk, abaca, bagasse, bamboo, coir, cotton, flax, linen, hemp,jute, kapok, kenaf, pina, raffia, ramie, sisal, oxidized natural fibersand combinations thereof. The natural fibers may be or may includealternate natural fibers of the type selected from the group consistingof: abaca, bamboo, coir, flax, linen, kapok, pina, raffia, ramie, sisal,nettle, buntal, buri, cotton, kenaf, elephant grass, jute, hemp, bagassefibers and combinations thereof. The synthetic fibers, which may be ormay include semi-synthetic fibers, may comprise fibers of the typeselected from the group consisting of: acrylic, aramid, para-aramid,meta-aramid, modacrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester, polyethylene,ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polyester-polyurethanecopolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride,poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole), polypropylene, ethylene vinylalcohol and combinations thereof, and/or may comprise semisyntheticfibers of the type selected from the group consisting of: regeneratedcellulose, rayon, lyocell, polylactic acid, polyvinyl alcohol andcombinations thereof. The synthetic fibers of the flushable wipe aregenerally non-thermoplastic. An average fiber length of the multi-plyflushable wipe is less than 5 mm.

The multi-ply flushable wipe has at least one of the followingproperties: a porosity below 40 cfm, a basis weight below 90 gsm, amachine direction tensile strength within the range of 30 N/m to 250N/m, or preferably a machine direction tensile strength within the rangeof 50 N/m to 150 N/m, a cross direction tensile strength within therange of 30 N/m to 250 N/m, or preferably a cross direction tensilestrength within the range of 50 N/m to 150 N/m, and a thickness withinthe range of 300 to 1500 microns, preferably a thickness within therange of 400 to 1250 microns.

At least one ply of the multi-ply flushable wipe may be comprised of oneor more of the following combinations: a combination of softwood fibersand alternate natural fibers; a combination of softwood fibers andmodified rayon fibers; a combination of softwood fibers and renewablepolymeric fibers; a combination of softwood fibers and water basedpolyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers; a combination of softwood fibers,renewable polymeric fibers and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers; and acombination of softwood fibers, modified rayon fibers, renewablepolymeric fibers, water-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers andalternate natural fibers.

In embodiments, at least one ply of the multi-ply flushable wipecomprises rayon fibers at an inclusion rate within the range of 10% to50% by weight. The modified rayon fibers may have shaped fibers havingtri-lobal or star-shaped cross-sections. The modified rayon fibers maybe viscose rayon fibers, such as lyocell fibers.

Also, in embodiments, at least one ply of the multi-ply flushable wipemay comprise water-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers at an inclusionrate of 10% to 50% by weight. The water-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)fibers are shaped fibers may be tri-lobal or star-shaped cross-sections.

In embodiments, at least one ply of the multi-ply flushable wipe maycomprise polylactic acid (PLA) fibers at an inclusion rate of 1% to 25%by weight. The polylactic acid (PLA) fibers are shaped fibers may havetri-lobal or star-shaped cross-sections.

A slurry from which the multi-ply flushable wipe is formed may compriseadditives, enzymes, and/or fillers. The additives may comprise additivesof the type selected from the group consisting of: urea formaldehyde,melamine formaldehyde, poly amide poly amine epichlorohydrin,polyethlyenimine, starch, starch derivatives, aldehyde functionalizedstarches, chitosan, aldehyde functionalize polyacrylamides, glyoxalatedpolyacrylamide, glyoxalated copolymer, carboxyl methyl cellulose,polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl amine, polyamide resins,polyacrylamide resins, galactomannan gums, acrylic emulsions,styrene-butadiene latexes, vinyl acetate polymers, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymers, vinyl chloride polymers, vinylidene chloridepolymers, vinyl chloride-vinylidene copolymers, acrylo-nitrilecopolymers, ethylene-acrylic copolymers, latex emulsions, acroleincopolymers and combinations thereof. The enzyme may comprise, forexample, oxidoreductase enzymatic systems. The fillers may comprise, forexample, at least one of calcium carbonate particles, clay particles ortalc particles. The multi-ply flushable wipe may also include fillermaterial, such as at least one of super absorbent polymers andencapsulated polymers.

The multi-ply flushable wipe may include a binder between the two ormore plies. The binder may be of a type selected from the groupconsisting of: poly(vinyl) alcohol, poly(vinyl)acetate, poly (ethylene)(vinyl) alcohols, poly (ethylene) (vinyl)acetate, copolymers of vinylacetate-ethylene, starch based chemistries and combinations thereof. Thebinder may further comprise a cross-linking agent, ion sensitivepolymers, a trigger chemistry, such as boric acid, and/or a trigger saltchemistry, such as sodium chloride. The two or more plies of the wipemay be held together by embossments.

In embodiments, the multi-ply flushable wipe also comprises a cleansingsolution and/or a wetting/cleaning solution. A cleansing solution mayinclude glycol based cross-linking chemistry, anhydrides and epoxygroups, cyclo-dextrins adapted to release fragrances, and/or at leastone of aloe or shea butter. The cleansing solution may be present in theamount of 40% to 80% by weight. A wetting/cleaning solution may includepurified water and a combination of one or more of the following:humectants, preservatives, moisturizers, surfactants, chelating agents,pH buffer and aromatic compounds.

The resulting multi-ply flushable wipe desirably has a basis weightwithin the range of 20 gsm to 100 gsm.

In another exemplary embodiment in accordance with the presentinvention, a multi-ply flushable wipe comprises two or more plies withat least one of the two or more plies comprising first and secondexterior layers and a middle layer disposed between the first and secondexterior layers. Each of the exterior layers comprises at least 50% byweight natural fibers. In this embodiment, the middle layer comprisessynthetic fibers and at least 75% by weight natural fibers, thesynthetic fibers having a length within the range of 1 mm and 20 mm. Theply has an average fiber length (LWW) of less than about 4 mm. The wipehas a cross direction wet strength greater than 20 N/m and the wipe isdispersible. In embodiments, at least one of the two or more plies ofthe wipe comprises greater than 80% pulp fibers. This multi-plyflushable wipe may further a cleansing solution and/or a binder betweenthe two or more plies. The wipe may have at least one of the followingproperties: a porosity below 40 cfm, a basis weight below 90 gsm, amachine direction tensile strength within the range of 30 N/m to 250N/m, or preferably a machine direction tensile strength within the rangeof 50 N/m to 150 N/m,

The present invention further comprises a method of forming a multi-plyflushable wipe, that includes forming two or more plies. Each ply isformed by wetlaying first and second exterior layers and a foam formedmiddle layer so as to form a web, where each of the first and secondexterior layers comprises at least 50% by weight natural fibers and thefoam-formed middle layer comprises synthetic fibers and at least 25% byweight natural fibers, the synthetic fibers having a length within therange of 1 mm and 20 mm. The web is then imprinted with a structuredfabric and dried. The two or more plies are attached together using abinder to form the multi-ply flushable wipe. The drying step may includea through air drying process in which the web is dried on a steam heatedcylinder, and may include use of a belt press. The method may furtherinclude a step of removing the dried web from the steam heated cylinder,such as by creping or by blowing the dried web off the steam heatedcylinder. Additionally, the method may include the step of pre-dryingthe web after imprinting.

Other features and advantages of embodiments of the invention willbecome readily apparent from the following detailed description, theaccompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described withreferences to the accompanying figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a three layer ply of a wipe formed by awet laid process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system for manufacturing a single plywipe according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system for manufacturing a multi-ply wipeproduct according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;and

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a wipe that has an embossment pattern inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is directed to a flushable and dispersible wipeincluding a core layer that may be composed of a foam-formed fiber blendof natural fibers (which may be or include alternative natural fibers)and long synthetic fibers (which may be or include semi-syntheticfibers). For the purposes of the present disclosure, the term “longfiber” is intended to mean fibers having a length of at least 1 mm,preferably within the range of 1 mm and 20 mm, more preferably withinthe range of 3 mm and 15 mm. Also, for the purposes of the presentdisclosure, the term “flushable” is intended to mean that the wipe isable to be disposed of through sanitation fixtures, such as toilets,without clogging or otherwise interfering with the disposal process. Thecurrent measure of flushability is set by the 3rd edition of theINDA/EDANA Flushability Guidelines (Guidance Document for AssessingFlushability of Nonwoven Disposable Products (June 2013)). A wipe isconsidered “dispersible” if it passes the Slosh Box Disintegration Testset forth in INDA FG502. Unless otherwise specified, for the purposes ofthe present invention, weight percentages are given relative to the dryweight of the final product (i.e, prior to application of lotions orother post formation additives).

FIG. 1 shows a three layer ply of a wipe, generally designated byreference number 1, according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. The wipe 1 has external layers 2 and 4 as well as aninternal, core layer 3. External layers 2 and 4 are composed primarilyof natural fibers 20, and in an exemplary embodiment the external layers2 and 4 are made up of 50% to 100% by weight natural fibers. (Theremaining fibers can be synthetic or semisynthetic fibers.) In anexemplary embodiment, the external layers 2 and 4 are made up of 90% byweight natural fibers. (The remaining fibers can be synthetic orsemisynthetic fibers.) The core layer 3 is composed of water orfoam-formed fiber blend of natural fibers 20 and long synthetic fibers21. The synthetic fibers 21 are non-thermoplastic fibers. In anexemplary embodiment, the core layer 3 is made up of 25% to 75% byweight natural fibers and 1% to 75% by weight long synthetic fibers.(The remaining fibers can be short synthetic or semisynthetic fibers.)In an exemplary embodiment, the core layer 3 is made of 50% by weightnatural fibers and 50% by weight long synthetic fibers. The basis weightof the wipe 1 is within the range of 20 gsm to 100 gsm, and in anexemplary embodiment has a basis weight of 50 gsm. The average fiberlength of the long synthetic fibers that are used in wipe 1 is, inembodiments, less than 5 mm, and may be more preferably less than 4 mm.

The wipe 1 may be produced using a single layered headbox wherein theabove mentioned natural and synthetic fibers, or combinations thereofmay be used in the forming section. Alternatively, wipe 1 may beproduced using a stratified headbox to form multiple layerssimultaneously.

The natural fibers/alternate natural fibers 20 used to form the wipe 1may be composed of natural cellulose fibers derived from, for example,softwood, hardwood, kenaf, elephant grass, esparto grass, sisal, abaca,jute, hemp, kemp, bagasse, cotton linters, soybean protein, milvet milk,abaca, bamboo, coir, flax, linen, kapok, pina, raffia, ramie, sisal,nettle, buntal, buri, other lignaceous and cellulose fibers, or otheroxidized natural fibers that increase acid group content greater than5.5 meq/100 g (meq=milliequivalents of solute), or combinations thereof.For example, the combination of natural fibers that are used may be acombination of softwood and hardwood fibers, or a combination ofsoftwood fibers and alternate natural fibers.

The synthetic fibers 21 used to form the core layer 3 may be, forexample, rayon fibers, renewable polymeric fibers, water-based polyvinylalcohol (PVA) fibers, acrylic, aramid, Twaron, Kevlar, Technora, Nomex,Microfiber, Modacrylic, Nylon, Olefin, Polyester, Polyethylene, Dyneema,Spectra, Spandex, Vinylon, Vinyon, Zylon, Polypropylene, or EthyleneVinyl Alcohol, or combinations thereof. The semi-synthetic fibers thatcan be used to form the core layer 3 may be, for example, modified rayonfibers, regenerated cellulose (from any source such as bamboo, wood,modal, acetate, diacetate, or triacetate), polylactic acid, or polyvinylalcohol. or combinations thereof. Thus, the core layer 3 may include,for example, one or more natural fibers, such as softwood fibers, andone or more of these synthetic or semisynthetic fibers.

If modified rayon fibers are used as the synthetic fibers 21, themodified rayon fibers may be composed of viscose rayon, lyocell (e.g.,Tencel®, manufactured by Lenzing AG of Lenzing, Austria), orcombinations thereof and may have an inclusion rate within the range of10% to 50% by weight, and preferably 25% by weight of the entire tissue.The modified rayon fibers have a length within the range of 1 to 20 mm.The modified rayon fibers may be shaped fibers, such as, for example,fibers having multi-lobal or star-shaped cross sections.

If water-based PVA fibers are used as the synthetic fibers 21, thewater-based PVA fibers may be added at an inclusion rate of 10% to 50%by weight, and preferably 25% by weight. The water-based PVA fibers havea length within the range of 4 mm to 20 mm, and may be shaped fibers,such as, for example, fibers having multi-lobal or star-shaped crosssections.

If renewable polymeric fibers are used as the synthetic fibers 21, therenewable polymeric fibers may be composed of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)and may have an inclusion rate within the range of 10% to 50% by weight,and preferably 25% by weight. The renewable polymeric fibers have alength within the range of 4 mm to 20 mm. The renewable polymeric fibersmay be shaped fibers, such as, for example, fibers having multi-lobal orstar-shaped cross sections.

Wet-end additives may be included in the layers of the wipe 1. In thisregard, as known in the art, pulp mixes are subjected to a dilutionstage in which water is added to the mixes so as to form a slurry. Afterthe dilution stage but prior to reaching the headbox, each of the pulpmixes are dewatered to obtain a thick stock of about 95% water. In anexemplary embodiment of the invention, wet end additives are introducedinto the thick stock pulp mixes of all layers, and in an exemplaryembodiment the wet end additives may only be introduced into the thickstock pulp mixes of only the external layers. Suitable wet-end additivesinclude temporary wet strength additives, such as, for example,water-based PVA, glyoxalated polyacrylamide (commonly known as GPAM),carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC), and combinations thereof, such as acombination of GPAM and CMC. If GPAM is used as the wet-end additive,the GPAM may be present at concentrations ranging from 0.01% to 4% ofthe weight of the fibers of the wipe 1, and in an exemplary embodimentis present at a concentration of 0.5% of the weight of the fibers of thewipe 1. If carboxyl methyl cellulose is used as the wet-end additive,the carboxyl methyl cellulose may be present at concentrations rangingfrom 0.01% to 1% of the weight of fibers of the wipe 1, and in anexemplary embodiment is present at a concentration of 0.25% of theweight of fibers of the wipe 1.

Enzymes may also be added to the slurry as a wet-end additive to refine,de-ink and/or bleach recycled pulp. Such enzymes may be present atconcentrations ranging from 0.1% to 2% of the weight of fibers. Anexample of a suitable enzyme is oxidoreductase, which requires a smalldose of hydrogen peroxide initiator or ammonium per sulfate.

In an exemplary embodiment, a dry strength additive is added to thethick stock mix for at least one of the layers of the tissue. The drystrength additive may be, for example, amphoteric starch, added in arange of about 1 kg/ton to 15 kg/ton to the thick stock mix.

As an alternative or in addition to the use of wet end additives, thewipe of the present invention may be treated with topical or surfacedeposited additives. Examples of surface deposited additives includetemporary wet strength additives such as GPAM and/or CMC. The temporarywet strength additive may be sprayed directly on the wipe basesheetduring the converting process with an add-on up to 1% to 2% of theweight of the fibers of the wipe 1.

Other examples of surface deposited additives include softeners forincreasing fiber softness and skin lotions. Examples of topicalsofteners include but are not limited to quaternary ammonium compounds,including, but not limited to, the dialkyldimethylammonium salts (e.g.ditallowdimethylammonium chloride, ditallowdimethylammonium methylsulfate, di(hydrogenated tallow)dimethyl ammonium chloride, etc.).Another class of chemical softening agents include the well-knownorgano-reactive polydimethyl siloxane ingredients, including aminofunctional polydimethyl siloxane. zinc stearate, aluminum stearate,sodium stearate, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, spermaceti, andsteryl oil. The softener additive may be applied to the basesheet by,for example, spraying, roll coating/anilox roll set up orflexographic/gravure roll coating the wipes when they are a wet laidasset or after the wipes are dried but before wetting solution is addedto the package.

In addition to the above, other additives can be incorporated into theslurry prior to deposition onto the forming surface, sprayed onto theweb during the wet-laid process or added during the plying step afterthe web has fully dried. In embodiments, the additives can be added inan amount up to 5% of the weight of fibers of the wipe 1.

The additives can be one or a combination of the following: ureaformaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, poly amide poly amineepichlorohydrin, polyethlyenimine, starch and starch derivatives,aldehyde functionalized starches, chitosan, aldehyde functionalizepolyacrylamides, glyoxalated polyacrylamide, glyoxalated copolymer,carboxyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate,polyvinyl amine, polyamide resins, polyacrylamide resins, galactomannangums such as guar guam and locus bean gum, acrylic emulsions,styrene-butadiene latexes, vinyl acetate polymers, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymers, vinyl chloride polymers, vinylidene chloridepolymers, vinyl chloride-vinylidene copolymers, acrylo-nitrilecopolymers, ethylene-acrylic copolymers, latex emulsions, and acroleincopolymers. In embodiments, when added to the slurry, these additivescan be added at a concentration ranging from 0.1 to 4% of the weight offibers, more preferably about 0.5% of the weight of fibers.

The additives can also be a combination of the following: starch andstarch derivatives, aldehyde functionalized starches, chitosan, aldehydefunctionalize polyacrylamides, glyoxalated polyacrylamide, glyoxalatedcopolymers, carboxyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylacetate, polyvinyl amine, polyamide resins, polyacrylamide resins,galactomannan gums such as guar guam and locus bean gum, acrylicemulsions, styrene-butadiene latexes, vinyl acetate polymers,ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, vinyl chloride polymers, vinylidenechloride polymers, vinyl chloride-vinylidene copolymers, acrylo-nitrilecopolymers, ethylene-acrylic copolymers, latex emulsions, and acroleincopolymers. In embodiments, when added to the slurry, these additivescan be added at a concentration ranging from 0.1 to 4% of the weight offibers of the wipe 1, more preferably about 0.5% of the weight of fibersof the wipe 1.

The additives can alternatively be one or a combination of thefollowing: starch and starch derivatives, aldehyde functionalizedstarches, chitosan, aldehyde functionalize polyacrylamides, glyoxalatedpolyacrylamide, glyoxylated copolymers, carboxyl methyl cellulose,polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl amine, polyamide resins,polyacrylamide resins, galactomannan gums such as guar guam and locusbean gum. In embodiments, when added to the slurry these additives canbe added at a concentration ranging from 0.1 to 4% of the weight offibers of the wipe 1, more preferably about 0.5% of the weight of fibersof the wipe 1.

The additives can alternatively be one or a combination of thefollowing: starch and starch derivatives, aldehyde functionalizedstarches, chitosan, aldehyde functionalize polyacrylamides, glyoxalatedpolyacrylamide, glyoxylated copolymers, carboxyl methyl cellulose,polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl amine, polyamide resins,and polyacrylamide resins. In embodiments, when added to the slurrythese additives can be added at a concentration ranging from 0.1 to 4%of the weight of fibers of the wipe 1, more preferably about 0.5% of theweight of fibers of the wipe 1. A cleansing solution may be topicallyapplied to the wipe. Examples of cleansing solutions includeglycol-based cross-linking chemistry including anhydrides and epoxygroups, cyclo-dextrins with the ability to release fragrances, aloe(such as Aloe E) and shea butter. The cleansing solution can be composedof 90-99.9% water with the remainder being preservative, humectants,moisturizers, pH buffers, surfactants, or aromatic compounds. Inembodiments, the aloe or shea butter may be applied in a concentrationof up to 0.5% of the cleansing solution. In embodiments, the wet wipemay contain as much as 40% to 90%, by weight of cleansing solution inthe final product, and more preferably 70% by weight of cleansingsolution in the final product.

Fillers may also be added to the slurry at addition rates of 0.1% to 1%of the weight of the fibers of the wipe 1, more preferably about 0.5% byweight of fibers of the wipe 1. Fillers may be, for example, calciumcarbonate particles, clay particles and/or talc particles. Fillers mayalso be superabsorbent polymers or encapsulated polymers.

The absorbent products or structures that are used for each of the websfor the one or more plies can be manufactured by any known orlater-discovered wet-laid method that uses water to form a web. Examplesof some known wet-laid technologies that may be used to form acellulosic (or other natural or synthetic fiber type) web includeThrough Air Drying (TAD), Uncreped Through Air Drying (UCTAD),Conventional Wet Crepe (CWC), Conventional Dry Crepe (CDC), AdvancedTissue Molding System (ATMOS), NTT, and ETAD.

The Through Air Drying (TAD) and Uncreped Through Air Drying (UCTAD)processes are wet-laid technologies that avoid compaction of the webduring drying and thereby produce absorbent products of superiorthickness and absorbency when compared to absorbent products of similarbasis weight and material inputs that are produced using the CWC or theCDC process. Other wet-laid processes, such as ATMOS, ETAD, and NTT,utilizes some pressing to dewater the web, or a portion of the web,resulting in absorbent products with absorbent capacities that correlateto the amount of pressing utilized when all other variables are thesame. Some wet-laid processes are discussed below.

Wet-Laid Processes

Tissue papermaking is a complex process where specific control overproduct quality attributes is critical. Arguably, the most criticalpieces of equipment used to control these quality attributes are thefabrics utilized in the papermaking machines. The various papermakingmachine technologies are conventional dry crepe, through air drying(TAD), or hybrid technologies such as Metso's NTT (Metso Corp.,Helsinki, Finland), Georgia Pacific's ETAD (Georgia Pacific LLC,Atlanta, Ga.), or Voith's ATMOS process (Voith GmbH, Heidenheim,Germany). All these technologies utilize fabrics at various stages inthe process to influence tissue web properties and overall assetproductivity.

The predominant manufacturing method for making a tissue web is theconventional dry crepe process. The major steps of the conventional drycrepe process involve stock preparation, forming, pressing, drying,creping, calendering (optional), and reeling the web.

The first step of stock preparation involves selection, blending,mixing, and preparation of the proper ratio of wood, plant, or syntheticfibers along with chemistry and fillers that are needed in the specifictissue grade. This mixture is diluted to over 99% water in order toallow for an even fiber formation when deposited from the machineheadbox into the forming section. There are many types of formingsections used in conventional papermaking (inclined suction breast roll,twin wire C-wrap (with a solid or suction forming roll), twin wireS-wrap, suction forming roll, and Crescent formers) but all are designedto retain the fiber, chemical, and filler recipe while allowing thewater to drain from the web. In order to accomplish this, fabrics,referred to as “forming fabrics,” are utilized.

Forming fabrics are woven structures that utilize monofilaments (yarns,threads) composed of synthetic polymers (usually polyethylene,polypropylene, or nylon). The forming fabric has two surfaces: the sheetside and the machine or wear side. The wear side is in contact with theelements that support and move the fabric and are thus prone to wear. Toincrease wear resistance and improve drainage, the wear side of thefabric has larger diameter monofilaments compared to the sheet side. Thesheet side has finer yarns to promote fiber and filler retention on thefabric surface.

In order to control other properties such as: fabric stability, lifepotential, drainage, fiber support, and clean-ability, different weavepatterns are utilized. Generally, forming fabrics are classified by thenumber of layers utilized in their construction. There are three basicstyles of forming fabrics: single layer, double layer, and triple layer.A single layer fabric is composed of one CD (shute) and one MD (warp)yarn system. The main problem of single layer fabrics is lack ofdimensional stability. The double layer forming fabric has one layer ofwarp yarns and two layers of shute yarns. This multilayer fabric isgenerally more stable and resistant to stretching. Triple layer fabricshave two separate single layer fabrics bound together by separated yarnscalled binders. Usually the binder fibers are placed in cross directionbut also can be oriented in the machine direction. Triple layer fabricshave further increased dimensional stability, wear potential, drainage,and fiber support than single or double layer fabrics.

The manufacturing of forming fabrics comprises the following operations:weaving, initial heat setting, seaming, final heat setting, andfinishing. The fabric is made in a loom using two interlacing sets ofmonofilaments (or threads or yarns). The longitudinal threads are calledthe warp and the transverse threads are called shute threads. Afterweaving, the forming fabric is heated to relieve internal stresses toenhance dimensional stability of the fabric. The next step inmanufacturing is seaming. This step converts the flat woven fabric intoand endless forming fabric by joining the two MD ends of the fabric.After seaming, the final heat setting is applied to stabilize andrelieve the stresses in the seam area. The final step in themanufacturing process is finishing, where the fabric is cut to width andsealed.

There are several parameters and tools used to characterize theproperties of the forming fabric: mesh and count, caliper, frames, planedifference, open area, air permeability, void volume and distribution,running attitude, fiber support, drainage index, and stacking. None ofthese parameters can be used individually to precisely predict theperformance of a forming fabric on a paper machine, but together theexpected performance and sheet properties can be estimated.

In a conventional process, after web formation and drainage (to around35% solids) in the forming section (assisted by centripetal force aroundthe forming roll, and vacuum boxes in several former types), the web istransferred to a press fabric upon which the web is pressed between arubber or polyurethane covered suction pressure roll and Yankee dryer.The press fabric is a permeable fabric designed to uptake water from theweb as it is pressed in the press section. It is composed of largemonofilaments or multi-filamentous yarns, needled with fine syntheticbatt fibers to form a smooth surface for even web pressing against theYankee dryer.

After pressing the sheet, between a suction pressure roll and a steamheated cylinder (referred to as a Yankee dryer), the web is dried fromup to 50% solids to up to 99% solids using the steam heated cylinder andhot air impingement from an air system (air cap or hood) installed overthe steam cylinder. The sheet is then creped (i.e. removed) from thesteam cylinder using a steel or ceramic doctor blade. This is a criticalstep in the conventional dry crepe process. The creping process greatlyaffects softness as the surface topography is dominated by the numberand coarseness of the crepe bars (finer crepe is much smoother thancoarse crepe). Some thickness and flexibility is also generated duringthe creping process. If the process is a wet crepe process, the web mustbe conveyed between dryer fabrics through steam heated after-dryer cansto dry the web to the required finished moisture content. After creping,the web is optionally calendered and reeled into a parent roll and readyfor the converting process.

The through air dried (TAD) process is another manufacturing method formaking a tissue web. The major steps of the through air dried processare stock preparation, forming, imprinting, thermal pre-drying, drying,creping, calendering (optional), and reeling the web. The stockpreparation and forming steps are similar to conventional dry creping.

Rather than pressing and compacting the web, as is performed inconventional dry crepe, the web undergoes the steps of imprinting andthermal pre-drying. Imprinting is a step in the process where the web istransferred from a forming fabric to a structured fabric (or imprintingfabric) and subsequently pulled into the structured fabric using vacuum(referred to as imprinting or molding). This step imprints the weavepattern (or knuckle pattern) of the structured fabric into the web. Thisimprinting step has a tremendous effect on the softness of the web, bothaffecting smoothness and the bulk structure. The design parameters ofthe structured fabric (weave pattern, mesh, count, warp and weftmonofilament diameters, caliper, air permeability, and optionalover-laid polymer) are, therefore, critical to the development of websoftness. The manufacturing method of an imprinting fabric is similar toa forming fabric, except for an additional step if an overlaid polymeris utilized. These type of fabrics are disclosed in patents such as U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,679,222; 4,514,345; 5,334,289; 4,528,239 and 4,637,859,hereby incorporated by reference. Essentially, fabrics produced usingthese methods result in a fabric with a patterned resin applied over awoven substrate. The benefit is that resulting patterns are not limitedby a woven structure and can be created in any desired shape to enable ahigher level of control of the web structure and topography that dictateweb quality properties.

After imprinting, the web is thermally pre-dried by moving hot airthrough the web while it is conveyed on the structured fabric. Thermalpre-drying can be used to dry the web to over 90% solids before it istransferred to a steam heated cylinder. The web is then transferred fromthe structured fabric to the steam heated cylinder though a very lowintensity nip (up to 10 times less than a conventional press nip)between a solid pressure roll and the steam heated cylinder. The onlyportions of the web that are pressed between the pressure roll and steamcylinder rest on knuckles of the structured fabric, thereby, protectingmost of the web from the light compaction that occurs in this nip. Thesteam cylinder and an optional air cap system, for impinging hot air,then dry the sheet to up to 99% solids during the drying stage beforecreping occurs. The creping step of the process again only affects theknuckle sections of the web that are in contact with the steam cylindersurface. Due to only the knuckles of the web being creped, along withthe dominant surface topography being generated by the structuredfabric, and the higher thickness of the TAD web, the creping process hasmuch smaller effect on overall softness as compared to conventional drycrepe. After creping, the web is optionally calendered and reeled into aparent roll and ready for the converting process from a basesheet to amulti-ply material, if desired. Some TAD machines utilize fabrics(similar to dryer fabrics) to support the sheet from the crepe blade tothe reel drum to aid in sheet stability and productivity. Examples ofcreped through air dried products are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.3,994,771; 4,102,737; 4,529,480 and 5,510,002, hereby incorporated byreference.

A variation of the TAD process where the sheet is not creped, but ratherdried to up to 99% using thermal drying and blown off the structuredfabric (using air) to be optionally calendered and reeled also exits.This process is called UCTAD or un-creped through air drying process. Anexample of an uncreped through air dried product is described in U.S.Pat. No. 5,607,551, hereby incorporated by reference.

A newer process/method and paper machine system for producing tissue hasbeen developed by the Voith GmbH and is being marketed under the nameATMOS. The process/method and paper machine system has several patentedvariations, but all involve the use of a structured fabric inconjunction with a belt press. The major steps of the ATMOS process andits variations are stock preparation, forming, imprinting, pressing(using a belt press), creping, calendering (optional), and reeling theweb.

The stock preparation step is the same as a conventional or TAD machinewould utilize. The purpose is to prepare the proper recipe of fibers,chemical polymers, and additives that are necessary for the grade oftissue being produced, and diluting this slurry to allow for proper webformation when deposited out of the machine headbox (single, double, ortriple layered) to the forming surface. The forming process can utilizea twin wire former (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,726) a CrescentFormer with a suction Forming Roll (as described in U.S. Pat. No.6,821,391), or preferably a Crescent Former (as described in U.S. Pat.No. 7,387,706). The preferred former is provided a slurry from theheadbox to a nip formed by a structured fabric (inner position/incontact with the forming roll) and forming fabric (outer position). Thefibers from the slurry are predominately collected in the valleys (orpockets, pillows) of the structured fabric and the web is dewateredthrough the forming fabric. This method for forming the web results in aunique bulk structure and surface topography as described in U.S. Pat.No. 7,387,706 (FIG. 1 through FIG. 11). The fabrics separate after theforming roll with the web staying in contact with the structured fabric.At this stage, the web is already imprinted by the structured fabric,but utilization of a vacuum box on the inside of the structured fabriccan facilitate further fiber penetration into the structured fabric anda deeper imprint.

The web is now transported on the structured fabric to a belt press. Thebelt press can have multiple configurations. A belt press configurationsused in conjunction with a structured fabric can be viewed in U.S. Pat.No. 7,351,307, incorporated by reference herein, where the web ispressed against a dewatering fabric across a vacuum roll by an extendednip belt press. The press dewaters the web while protecting the areas ofthe sheet within the structured fabric valleys from compaction. Moistureis pressed out of the web, through the dewatering fabric, and into thevacuum roll. The press belt is permeable and allows for air to passthrough the belt, web, and dewatering fabric, into the vacuum rollenhancing the moisture removal. Since both the belt and dewateringfabric are permeable, a hot air hood can be placed inside of the beltpress to further enhance moisture removal as shown in FIG. 14 of U.S.Pat. No. 7,351,307. Alternately, the belt press can have a pressingdevice arranged within the belt which includes several press shoes, withindividual actuators to control cross direction moisture profile, (seeFIG. 28 in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,951,269 or 8,118,979, or FIG. 20 of U.S.Pat. No. 8,440,055, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference)or a press roll (see FIG. 29 in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,951,269 or 8,118,979,or FIG. 21 of U.S. Pat. No. 8,440,055, each of which are herebyincorporated by reference). The preferred arrangement of the belt presshas the web pressed against a permeable dewatering fabric across avacuum roll by a permeable extended nip belt press. Inside the beltpress is a hot air hood that includes a steam shower to enhance moistureremoval. The hot air hood apparatus over the belt press can made moreenergy efficient by reusing a portion of heated exhaust air from theYankee air cap or recirculating a portion of the exhaust air from thehot air apparatus itself (see U.S. Pat. No. 8,196,314, herebyincorporated by reference). In further embodiments of the drying systemcomposed of the hot air apparatus and steam shower in the belt presssection are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,402,673, 8,435,384 and8,544,184 (each of which are hereby incorporated by reference).

After the belt press is a second press to nip the web between thestructured fabric and dewatering felt by one hard and one soft roll. Thepress roll under the dewatering fabric can be supplied with vacuum tofurther assist water removal. This preferred belt press arrangement isdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,382,956, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,580,083, eachof which are hereby incorporated by reference, with FIG. 1 showing thearrangement. Rather than sending the web through a second press afterthe belt press, the web can travel through a boost dryer (FIG. 15 ofU.S. Pat. Nos. 7,387,706 or 7,351,307, each of which are herebyincorporated by reference), a high pressure through air dryer (FIG. 16of U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,387,706 or 7,351,307, each of which are herebyincorporated by reference), a two pass high pressure through air dryer(FIG. 17 of U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,387,706 or 7,351,307, each of which arehereby incorporated by reference) or a vacuum box with hot air supplyhood (FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 7,476,293, hereby incorporated byreference). In addition, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,510,631, 7,686,923, 7,931,7818,075,739, and 8,092,652 (each of which are hereby incorporated byreference) further describe methods and systems for using a belt pressand structured fabric to make tissue products each having variations infabric designs, nip pressures, dwell times, etc. and are mentioned herefor reference. A wire turning roll can be also be utilized with vacuumbefore the sheet is transferred to a steam heated cylinder via apressure roll nip (see FIG. 2a of U.S. Pat. No. 7,476,293, herebyincorporated by reference).

The sheet is now transferred to a steam heated cylinder via a presselement. The press element can be a through drilled (bored) pressureroll (FIG. 8 of U.S. Pat. No. 8,303,773, hereby incorporated byreference), a through drilled (bored) and blind drilled (blind bored)pressure roll (FIG. 9 of U.S. Pat. No. 8,303,773, hereby incorporated byreference), or a shoe press (see U.S. Pat. No. 7,905,989, herebyincorporated by reference). After the web leaves this press element tothe steam heated cylinder, the % solids are in the range of 40-50%solids. The steam heated cylinder is coated with chemistry to aid insticking the sheet to the cylinder at the press element nip and also aidin removal of the sheet at the doctor blade. The sheet is dried to up to99% solids by the steam heated cylinder and installed hot airimpingement hood over the cylinder. This drying process, the coating ofthe cylinder with chemistry, and the removal of the web with doctoringis explained in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,582,187 and 7,905,989, each of whichare hereby incorporated by reference. The doctoring of the sheet off theYankee, creping, is similar to that of TAD with only the knucklesections of the web being creped. Thus the dominant surface topographyis generated by the structured fabric, with the creping process having amuch smaller effect on overall softness as compared to conventional drycrepe.

The web is now optionally calendered, slit, and reeled in preparationfor the converting process.

The ATMOS manufacturing technique is often described as a hybridtechnology because it utilizes a structured fabric like the TAD process,but also utilizes energy efficient means to dewater the sheet like theConventional Dry Crepe process. Other manufacturing techniques whichemploy the use of a structured fabric along with an energy efficientdewatering process are the ETAD process and NTT process. The ETADprocess and products are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,339,378,7,442,278, and 7,494,563, each of which are hereby incorporated byreference. This process can utilize any type of former such as a TwinWire Former or Crescent Former. After formation and initial drainage inthe forming section, the web is transferred to a press fabric where itis conveyed across a suction vacuum roll for water removal, increasingweb solids up to 25%. Then the web travels into a nip formed by a shoepress and backing/transfer roll for further water removal, increasingweb solids up to 50%. At this nip, the web is transferred onto thetransfer roll and then onto a structured fabric via a nip formed by thetransfer roll and a creping roll. At this transfer point, speeddifferential can be utilized to facilitate fiber penetration into thestructured fabric and build web caliper. The web then travels across amolding box to further enhance fiber penetration if needed. The web isthen transferred to a Yankee dryer where is can be optionally dried witha hot air impingement hood, creped, calendared, and reeled. The NTTprocess and products are described in International Patent ApplicationPublication No. WO 2009/061079 A1, hereby incorporated by reference. Theprocess has several embodiments, but the key step is the pressing of theweb in a nip formed between a structured fabric and press felt. The webcontacting surface of the structured fabric is a non-woven material witha three dimensional structured surface comprised of elevation anddepressions of a predetermined size and depth. As the web is passedthrough this nip, the web is formed into the depression of thestructured fabric since the press fabric is flexible and will reach downinto all of the depressions during the pressing process. When the feltreaches the bottom of the depression, hydraulic force is built up whichforces water from the web and into the press felt. To limit compactionof the web, the press rolls will have a long nip width which can beaccomplished if one of the rolls is a shoe press. After pressing, theweb travels with the structured fabric to a nip with the Yankee dryer,where the sheet is optionally dried with a hot air impingement hood,creped, calendered, and reeled.

In embodiments, the fabric in the inner position of a former, such asthe Crescent former, is a structured fabric. Structured fabrics can bemanufactured using 3D printing techniques and materials that can beutilized with 3D printers. The structured fabric may comprise a cast orextruded polymer film with holes produced using a laser. The structuredfabric may be a woven structure that utilizes monofilaments (yarns,threads) made of synthetic polymers (usually polyethylene,polypropylene, or nylon) that may be overlaid with a patterned polymerresin. The structured fabric may be produced using any of variousprocesses for making a three-dimensional object primarily throughadditive processes in which successive layers of material are laid downunder computer control. These processes are generally classified as 3-Dprinting technologies and include but are not limited to any of thefollowing: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), PolyJet Technology,Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS),Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Stereolithography (SLA), or LaminatedObject Manufacturing (LOM).

In Conventional Dry Crepe and Conventional Wet Crepe methods, a nascentweb is formed in a forming structure, the web is transferred to adewatering felt where it is pressed to remove moisture, and the web isthen adhered to a Yankee Dryer. The web is then dried and creped fromthe Yankee Dryer and reeled. When creped at a solids content of lessthan 90%, the process is referred to as Conventional Wet Crepe. Whencreped at a solids content of greater than 90%, the process is referredto as Conventional Dry Crepe.

Additional processes for manufacturing wetlaid tissue can be found inU.S. Pat. No. 8,968,517, issued Mar. 3, 2015 and entitled “Soft ThroughAir Dried Tissue” and Ser. No. 14/561,802, filed Dec. 5, 2014, andentitled “Towel with Quality Wet Scrubbing Properties at Relatively LowBasis Weight and an Apparatus and Method for Producing Same.”

Single Ply Product

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system for manufacturing a single ply ofa wipe, generally designated by reference number 100, according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention. The system 100 includes afirst exterior layer fan pump 102, a core layer fan pump 104, a secondexterior layer fan pump 106, a headbox 108, a forming section 110, adrying section 112 and a calendar section 114. The headbox 108 is astratified headbox (e.g., a triple layer headbox for a three layer ply,a double layer headbox for a two layer ply) to form multilayer plies.Alternatively, multiple headboxes may be provided, with a separateheadbox corresponding to a separate layer of the multi-layer wipe. Inembodiments, all three headbox layers may be formed using foam forming.In other embodiments, only the core layer is formed using foam forming.In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, long fibers may beincorporated via a regular water forming headbox separate from headbox108.

The first and second exterior layer fan pumps 102, 106 deliver thefurnish of the first and second external layers 2, 4 to the headbox 108,and the core layer fan pump 104 delivers the foamed furnish of the corelayer 3 to the headbox 108. The foamed furnish includes a dispersion offibers in a foamed liquid containing water and a surfactant. The foamforming surfactants could be anionic, cationic, non-ionic or amphotericdepending on their ability to generate a foamed dispersion. Someexamples of anionic surfactants include sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS),sodium alkyl ether sulphate (SAES) and alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) basedlabile surfactant. A typical example of ionic surfactants is alphaolefin sulfonate and some examples of non-ionic surfactants includealkyl glucosides and ethoxylated alcohols such as a peg-6 lauramide. Thefollowing steps are performed:

Deposition of Slurry from Headbox onto Forming Surface:

As is known in the art, the headbox delivers a wet web of pulp onto aforming wire, such as a Fourdrinier wire or a twin wire former, withinthe forming section 110. The wet web is delivered to the forming wirewith the foamed core layer 3 disposed between the first and secondexternal layers 2, 4. The laying down of the foamed core layer 3 resultsin a foam formed fibrous web disposed between the first and secondexternal layers 2, 4. The foam forming may be accomplished in a singlelayer or multilayer headbox using surfactants injected into the thinstock loop and modified pumping systems specifically designed to handleentrained air.

Drainage of Slurry Across Forming Surface to Dewater the Nascent Web:

At least some dewatering may occur in the forming section 110. Water andsurfactant removed from the foam formed core layer 3 during dewateringmay be recycled.

Imprinting the Web Using a Structured Fabric and Pre-Drying the Web:

After formation in the forming section 110, the wet web may be imprintedwith a structured fabric and, in embodiments, may be pre-dried.

Drying the Web Upon a Steam-Heated Cylinder:

Next, the web is transferred to the drying section 112. Within thedrying the section 112, the wet web may be dewatered using an ATMOSsystem, such as a twin wire ATMOS system as described in U.S. Pat. No.7,744,726, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety, or an NTT system, available from Valmet Corporation, ofEspoo Finland. After dewatering, the dewatered web may be dried using aYankee drying drum. Drying is completed using hot air impingementproduced through TAD technology.

As noted in regards to an ATMOS drying process, the web is pressedagainst a dewatering fabric across a vacuum roll by an extended nip beltpress. The vacuum roll applies negative pressure to a surface of thepermeable dewatering fabric which is opposite to a surface of thepermeable dewatering fabric which contacts the web, drawing moisturefrom the web through the dewatering fabric into the vacuum roll. Thevacuum roll may have a diameter of between approximately 1000 mm andapproximately 2500 mm. In addition, in embodiments, the permeabledewatering fabric comprises a felt with a batt layer. The fabric mayhave a caliper of between approximately 0.1 mm and approximately 15 mm,a permeability value of between approximately 1 cfm and approximately500 cfm, an overall density of between approximately 0.2 g/cm³ andapproximately 1.1 g/cm³ and a weight of between approximately 350 g/m²and approximately 3000 g/m². Also, in embodiments, an extended nip beltpress comprises a permeable belt with a tension of between approximately20 kN/m and approximately 100 kN/m, a permeability value of betweenapproximately 100 cfm and approximately 1200 cfm, a surface contact areaof the paper web side that is between approximately 0.5% andapproximately 90% when not under tension, and an open area of betweenapproximately 1.0% and approximately 85%. In embodiments, the extendednip of the belt press has an angle of wrap of between approximately 30degrees and approximately 180 degrees, and, in embodiments, the extendednip has a nip length of between approximately 800 mm and approximately2500 mm.

A hot air impingement hood may be installed inside of the belt press,and a steam shower may be installed inside the hot air impingement hood.Where the hood is used, a portion of exhaust air from an air capinstalled over the steam heated cylinder is utilized as makeup air forthe installed hood inside the belt press. Additionally, shoe presses maybe installed inside the hot air impingement hood or may be installedinside of the belt press rather than a hot air impingement hood.Alternatively, a press roll may be installed inside of the belt pressrather than installing shoe presses or a hot air impingement hood.

Creping the Web from the Steam-Heated Cylinder:

In an exemplary embodiment, a creping adhesive is applied to the drumprior to the dewatered web contacting the drum. After drying, a crepingblade is used to remove the wipe from the Yankee drying drum, such aswith a steel or ceramic doctor blade. The creping may be performed withor without a hot air impingement hood. At that point, the web has asolids content of approximately 15% to 1% solids.

Optionally Calendering the Web:

The wipe may then be calendered in a subsequent stage within thecalender section 114. According to an exemplary embodiment, calenderingmay be accomplished using a number of calender rolls (not shown) thatdeliver a calendering pressure in the range of 0-100 pounds per linearinch (PLI). In general, increased calendering pressure is associatedwith reduced caliper and a smoother tissue surface.

Reeling the Web onto a Parent Roll and Unwinding the Web:

The formed web may be reeled on a parent roll, such as one of the parentrolls 208, 209 shown in FIG. 3. For a single ply wipe, the parent rollis unwound while a binder is applied to the roll.

To meet the “flushability” requirements of INDA and to reduce the eventsof pluggage within household sanitation systems as well as wastewatertreatment facilities, nonwoven wipes can incorporate unique binders. Thebinders allow the wipe to be pre-moistened and retain its strength, butthe binder will dissociate causing the nonwoven to lose its strength anddisperse when flushed into a toilet. The binder may be used as anadhesive or as part of the adhesive to hold the multiple plies togetherbefore the wipe is disposed of.

Some examples of these binders are polymers that are insoluble in warmwater, but are soluble in cold water, such as found in a toilet. Anexample of a nonwoven product incorporating this type of binder is shownin U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,913. Other types of binders are polymers that areion sensitive. When a wipe is pre-moistened with a solution containing ahigh ion concentration the binder remains insolvent and the nonwovenretains its strength. When flushed into a toilet the containing softwater, the binder dissociates and the wipe can disperse. Other types ofbinders suitable for wipes that may be “flushable” by INDA standards areknown, such as binders described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,281,306 and7,157,389.

The binder may applied via roll coating such as with a roto-gravure orflexographic coating that is applied to the web. As another alternative,the application of the binder may be performed via spray coating or spindisc coating equipment. The binder may be applied in a particularpattern with surface coverage of the web ranging from 0 to 100%, andmore preferably 50% surface coverage. The pattern may be a repeatingpattern with each component of the pattern defining an open area free ofbinder. Exemplary patterns include polygonal-shaped patterns, such asdiamond or triangular shaped patterns.

When pre-moistening the wipe, the binder contributes to retaining theintegrity of the wipe prior to disposal. The particular binder that isused may be, for example, a polyethylene, vinyl acetate ethylenecopolymers, vinyl-based or acrylic binders, or combinations thereof.Thus, possible binders may include a poly(vinyl) alcohol,poly(vinyl)acetate, poly (ethylene) (vinyl) alcohols, poly (ethylene)(vinyl)acetate, copolymers of vinyl acetate-ethylene, starch basedchemistries or combinations thereof. The binder may also containadditional components such as a cross-linking agent including epoxy,amide and anhydride based chemistries, or ion sensitive polymerscomprising acrylic acid, alkyl or aryl acrylates, terpolymers whichcomprise partially neutralized acrylic acid, butyl acrylate and2-ethylhexyl acrylate. The binder also may comprise of additionaltrigger chemistries such as boric acid at concentrations ranging from0.1 to 5% by weight, as well as additional trigger salt chemistries suchas sodium chloride. The trigger chemistries, such as boric acid, canalternatively or also be included in the cleansing solution that isapplied to the wipe 1.

After being applied, the binder may be cured at high temperatures in therange of 200 to 250° F. using methods such as infrared, UV, or othernon-contact heating devices.

After that, the single ply wipe may be cut, folded and packaged withwetting, cleansing solution.

Multi-Ply Product

In another exemplary embodiment, a wipe according to the presentinvention may comprise two or more plies formed from two webs formedaccording to the process described with respect to FIG. 2 that arelaminated together to create a multi-ply wipe. Each ply of a multi-plywipe of the present invention may be made of the same type(s) of fibersor different fibers may be used in some or all of the plies. In apreferred embodiment, the plies have the same multi-layer tissuestructure and composition.

Where the wipe is to be formed of two plies, the wipes are obtained byapplying a binder between the two or more plies, embossing the plies,and then using a marrying roll following the embossment.

FIG. 3 shows an apparatus for manufacturing a laminate of two plies of awipe that are joined to each other, in a face-to-face relationship,using an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in thefigure, each of two webs 200, 201 of single ply web, which may bemanufactured, for example, according to a method described above, isunwound and fed from each of parent rolls 208, 209 to respective pairsof mated pressure rolls 203, 205 and substantially axially parallelembossing rolls 204, 206. A first web 200 is thus fed through a nip 202a formed by pressure roll 203 and embossing roll 204 (also known as apattern roll) and a second web 201 is likewise fed through a nip 202 bbetween pressure roll 205 and embossing roll 206. The embossing rolls204, 206, which rotate in the illustrated directions, impress anembossment pattern onto the webs as they pass through nip 202 a and 202b. An exemplary embossment pattern for the wipe is shown in FIG. 4.After being embossed, each ply may have a plurality of embossmentsprotruding outwardly from the plane of the ply towards the adjacent ply.The adjacent ply likewise may have opposing protuberances protrudingtowards the first ply. If a three ply product is produced by adding athird pair of mated pressure and embossing rolls, the central ply mayhave embossments extending outwardly in both directions.

To perform the embossments at nips 202 a and 202 b, the embossing rolls204, 206, which may be hard or soft covered, have embossing tips orembossing knobs that extend radially outward from the rolls to make theembossments. In embodiments, the depth of the knobs may be between 25 to1000 thousandths of an inch. In the illustrated embodiment, embossing isperformed by nested embossing in which the crests of the embossing knobson one embossing roll intermesh with the embossing knobs on the opposingembossing roll and a nip is formed between the embossing rolls. As theweb is fed through nips 202 a and 202 b, a pattern is produced on thesurface of the web by the interconnectivity of the knobs on an embossingroll with the open spaces of the respective pressure roll.

An adhesive applicator roll 212 is positioned upstream of the nip 213formed between the two embossing rolls and is aligned in an axiallyparallel arrangement with one of the two embossing rolls to form a niptherewith. A binder is fed from a tank 207 via a conduit 210 toapplicator roll 212. The applicator roll 212 transfers a binder to aninterior side of embossed ply 200 to adhere the at least two plies 200,201 together, wherein the interior side is the side of ply 200 thatcomes into a face-to-face relationship with ply 201 for lamination. Thebinder is applied to the ply at the crests of the embossing knobs 205 onembossing roll 204. The binder may alternatively or in addition appliedvia roll coating such as with a roto-gravure or flexographic coatingthat is applied to the one or two webs (or more webs, when present)before the webs are pressed together between the embossing rolls 204 or206 to be plied. As another alternative to the use of an applicator roll212 to apply the binder or in addition to that, the application of thebinder may be performed via spray coating or spin disc coating equipmentto the one or two webs before the webs are pressed together between thetwo embossing rolls. As described previously in regards to the singleply wipe, the binder may be applied in a particular pattern with surfacecoverage of the web ranging from 0 to 100%, and more preferably 50%surface coverage.

After being applied, the binder may be cured at high temperatures in therange of 200 to 250° F. using methods such as infrared, UV, or othernon-contact heating devices.

The webs are then fed through the nip 213 where the embossing patternson each embossing roll 204, 206 mesh with one another. After applicationof the embossments and the binder, a marrying roll 214 is used to applypressure for lamination. The marrying roll 214 forms a nip with the sameembossing roll 204 that forms the nip with the applicator roll 212,downstream of the nip formed between the two embossing rolls 204, 206.The marrying roll 214 is generally needed because, in nested embossing,the crests of the nested embossing knobs 205 typically do not touch theperimeter of the opposing roll 206 at the nip 213 formed therebetween.

The specific pattern that is embossed on the absorbent products canimprove the adhesion properties of the plies. In an exemplaryembodiment, the embossed area (or “bond area”) on any ply may coverbetween approximately 5 to 15% of the surface area of the ply. The sizeof each embossment may be between approximately 0.04 to 0.08 squarecentimeters. The depth of each embossment may be between 0.28 and 0.43centimeters (0.110 and 0.170 inches) in depth.

FIG. 4 shows a sample pattern embossed on a wipe 250 according to anembodiment of the present invention. In the illustrated pattern, theembossed area covers approximately 13% of the surface, the embossmentdepth is approximately 0.34 centimeters (0.135 inches), and theembossment diameter is approximately 0.92 centimeters (0.115 inches).

The laminate is then cut, folded and packaged.

In exemplary embodiments, the following properties may be exhibited byflushable and dispersible multi-ply wet wipes made using a TAD process:

(1) Air Porosity: Below 40 cfm with a basis weight below 90 gsm;

(2) MD Tensile Strength: Between 30 N/m to 250 N/m, preferably between50 N/m to 150 N/m;

(3) CD Tensile Strength: Between 30 N/m to 250 N/m, preferably between50 N/m to 150 N/m;

(4) Caliper: Between 300 to 1500 microns, preferably between 400 to 1250microns.

In exemplary embodiments, the following properties may be exhibited bysingle ply wipes and multi-ply flushable and dispersible wet wipes madeusing a UCTAD process:

(1) Air Porosity: Below 40 cfm;

(2) MD Tensile Strength: Between 30 N/m to 250 N/m, preferably between75 N/m to 150 N/m;

(3) CD Tensile Strength: Between 30 N/m to 250 N/m, preferably between75 N/m to 150 N/m;

(4) Caliper: Between 500 to 1500 microns, preferably between 750 to 1250microns.

The following discussion describes the techniques that were used todetermine the basis weights, fiber length, MD and CD stretch and tensilestrength, caliper, and air porosity in connection with the presentinvention.

Basis Weight

The basis weight for the present invention was measured in grams/m²using the following process. Using a dye and press, six approximately76.2 mm by 76.2 mm (approximately 3 inch×3 inch) square samples were cutfrom each two-ply product that was tested with care being taken to avoidany web perforations in the sample. The samples were placed in an ovenat 105 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes and were thereafter weighed on ananalytical balance to the fourth decimal point. The weight of the samplein grams was then divided by (0.0762 m)² to determine the basis weightin grams/m².

Fiber Length Measurements

Fiber lengths and other fiber morphology of a pulp sample, such ascoarseness, kink, and curl may be measured. The test uses a standarddisintegrator capable of operating at 3,000 RPM, a Fiber QualityAnalyzer, an oven as well as the standard supplies for consistencydetermination, a bucket and beaker set for dilution, and a desiccatorwith active desiccant crystals. (Ensure that the crystals are notsaturated with moisture.)

To prepare the sample, determine the sample's consistency and weigh outthe equivalent of 3 grams (o.d. basis). (If the sample is in dry sheetform, assume a 10% moisture content and tear 3.3 grams from the sheet.Do not use cut edges, and be careful to take the fill thickness of thesheet. Any dry samples must be soaked in water for no less than 4 hours,and as long as overnight.) Dilute the samples to 2 liters (2,000 ml)using water, and disintegrate in the standard disintegrator at 3,000 RPMfor 1 minute.

If the sample is softwood, tare a clean bucket on the lab balance, addthe disintegrated pulp and add water to make up the total sample weightto 8,000 grams. This will set the consistency at approximately 0.0375%.If the sample is hardwood, tare a clean bucket on the lab balance, butonly add 1 liter (1,000 ml) of the disintegrated pulp. Again, add waterto make up the total sample weight to 8,000 grams. This will set theconsistency at approximately 0.0188%. If a coarseness measurement is notrequired, skip to dilution testing. If a coarseness measurement isrequired, a consistency determination is performed as follows.

Oven dry two filter papers and cool them in the desiccator for 2 minutesbefore weighing them. Label these as Consistency 1 and Consistency 2,and record their weights on the back of the filter paper. Mix thediluted sample thoroughly, in a FIG. 8 motion or an irregular motion.(Circular mixing will cause larger fibers to separate out towards theouter perimeter of the container.) With constant mixing, quicklywithdraw two 1,000 gram samples, record their exact weights, and filterthem on the two pre-weighted filter papers. (Note that very preciseconsistency is required. Take special care to rinse fibers from thesides of the funnel and the edges of the filter paper.)

Dry the consistency pads in a speed dryer for approximately fiveminutes, then transfer to an oven for 10 minutes at 105° C. Do not placeadditional wet material in the oven during this process. Cool the padsin the desiccator, and weigh to an accuracy of at least 3 decimalplaces. Repeat the drying/cooling/weighing procedure until a constantweight is achieved, and record those weights to an accuracy of 0.001. Ifthe weights of Consistency 1 and Consistency 2 are not within ±0.001% ofeach other, repeat the consistency determination until they are. Averagethe two weights to obtain a final result.

To perform a dilution test, take 500 grams of the thoroughly mixedsample and dilute it to 1,000 grams with water. Record the preciseweight. Calculate the actual concentrations using values of 0.0188 g/Lfor softwood, or 0.0094 g/L for hardwood. Take 100 grams of the dilutedsample, and dilute that to 1,000 grams with water. Again, record theexact weights, and calculate the actual concentrations; this time, usevalues of 0.00188 g/L for softwood, or 0.00094 g/L for hardwood. Thetarget weight for measurement is 1.25 mg for softwood, and 0.50 mg forhardwood. This should yield calculations of 0.00125/0.0188=66.49 g forsoftwood, and 0.0005/0.0094=53.19 g for hardwood. Thoroughly mix thesample, quickly pour it into a beaker, and record the pour weight,calculating the exact amount used.

Prepare duplicate samples for each test, and measure samples within twohours of dilution (as over time, the fibers may straighten out, or themicrofibrils may detach from the fibers; either of these will change thefiber length distribution and coarseness values).

Stretch & MD, CD, and Wet CD Tensile Strength Testing

An Instron 3343 tensile tester, manufactured by Instron of Norwood,Mass., with a 100N load cell and 25.4 mm rubber coated jaw faces wasused for tensile strength measurement. Prior to measurement, the Instron3343 tensile tester was calibrated. After calibration, 8 strips of 2-plyproduct, each 2.54 cm by 10.16 cm (one inch by four inches), wereprovided as samples for each test. When testing MD (Material Direction)tensile strength, the strips are cut in the MD direction. When testingCD (Cross Direction) tensile strength, the strips are cut in the CDdirection. One of the sample strips was placed in between the upper jawfaces and clamp, and then between the lower jaw faces and clamp with agap of 5.08 cm (2 inches) between the clamps. A test was run on thesample strip to obtain tensile and stretch. The test procedure wasrepeated until all the samples were tested. The values obtained for theeight sample strips were averaged to determine the tensile strength ofthe tissue. When testing CD wet tensile strength, the strips are placedin an oven at 105 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes and saturated with 75microliters of deionized water immediately prior to pulling the sample.

Caliper Testing

A Thwing-Albert ProGage 100 Thickness Tester, manufactured by ThwingAlbert of West Berlin, N.J. was used for the caliper test. Eight 100mm×100 mm square samples were cut from a 2-ply product. The samples werethen tested individually and the results were averaged to obtain acaliper result for the base sheet.

Porosity (Air Permeability) Testing

For oven-drying: 5 sheets of each sample were placed in an oven at 105°C. and dried for 6 hours. The wipes were allowed to equilibrate at roomconditions overnight before testing.

For washing and oven-drying: 5 sheets of each sample were rinsedthoroughly with 500 mL of room temperature deionized (DI) water, thenplaced in an oven at 105° C. and dried for 6 hours. The wipes wereallowed to equilibrate at room conditions overnight before testing.

The equipment used was a Textest FX3300 Air Permeability Tester usingATSM procedure D737. All data was in cubic feet of air per minute (cfm).

The following Examples illustrate the advantages of the presentinvention.

Single Ply Examples Example 1

Multiple hand sheets were produced using TAD/ATMOS technology. Thesamples were formed on a dynamic sheet former with basis weight rangingfrom 50 gsm to 70 gsm. The basesheet was produced with 70 to 100%softwood fibers and 0 to 30% tencel fibers. The tissue samples accordingto Example 1 were produced with addition of a temporary wet strengthadditive at a concentration of 0.01 to 0.5% range, Hercobond 1194(Ashland, 500 Hercules Road, Wilmington Del., 19808) to the thick stock.

Example 2

Multiple hand sheets were produced using TAD/ATMOS technology. Thesamples were formed on a dynamic sheet former with basis weight rangingfrom 50 gsm to 70 gsm. The sample basesheets were produced with 70 to100% softwood fibers, 0 to 30% tencel fibers and 0 to 20% hemp fibers.The tissue samples according to Example 2 were produced with addition ofa temporary wet strength additive at a concentration of 0.1 to 0.5%range, Hercobond 1194 (Ashland, 500 Hercules Road, Wilmington Del.,19808) to the thick stock.

Example 3

Multiple hand sheets were produced using TAD/ATMOS technology. Thesamples were formed on a dynamic sheet former with basis weight rangingfrom 50 gsm to 70 gsm. The basesheet samples were produced with 70 to100% softwood fibers and 0 to 30% tencel fibers. The tissue samplesaccording to Example 3 were produced with addition of a temporary wetstrength additive at a concentration of 0.1 to 0.5% range, Hercobond1194 (Ashland, 500 Hercules Road, Wilmington Del., 19808) to the thickstock and carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) from Ashland Inc., at aconcentration of 0 to 0.25% on the weight of fiber.

Example 4

Multiple hand sheets were produced using TAD/ATMOS technology. Thesamples were formed on a dynamic sheet former with basis weight rangingfrom 50 gsm to 70 gsm. The basesheet samples were produced with 70 to100% softwood fibers, 0 to 30% tencel fibers and 0 to 20% hemp fibers.The tissue samples according to Example 4 were produced with addition ofa temporary wet strength additive at a concentration of 0.1 to 0.5%range, Hercobond 1194 (Ashland, 500 Hercules Road, Wilmington Del.,19808) to the thick stock and carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) fromAshland Inc., at a concentration of 0 to 0.25% on the weight of fiber.

Comparative Example 1

Multiple hand sheets were produced using TAD/ATMOS technology. Thesamples were formed on a dynamic sheet former with basis weight rangingfrom 50 gsm to 70 gsm. The basesheet samples were produced with 70 to100% softwood fibers and 0 to 30% tencel fibers.

Table 1 shows specifications and physical properties for ComparativeExamples 1A-1D as compared to Examples 1A-1D.

TABLE 1 BW Additive Conc. SW:Tencel Comparative 50 None n/a 90/10Example 1A Comparative 60 None n/a 90/10 Example 1B Comparative 60 Nonen/a 85/15 Example 1C Comparative 60 None n/a 80/20 Example 1D Example 1A50 GPAM 0.25 90/10 Example 1B 60 GPAM 0.25 90/10 Example 1C 60 GPAM 0.2585/15 Example 1D 60 GPAM 0.25 80/20

TABLE 2 Flushable Hydraspun Test Parameter Method UOM (Suominen)GP-AirSpun KC-Cottonelle Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Basis Weight WSP130.1 g/m² 60 75 80 60 60 60 Thickness WSP 120.1 mm 0.44 0.49 0.47 0.310.35 0.35 (Wet/Converted) Tensile Strength MD (Wet) ERT 20.2-89 N/5 cm 85 10 4 4 5 Tensile Strength CD (Wet) ERT 20.2-89 N/5 cm 5 3 8 2 2 3

The results summarized in Table 2 suggest that the basesheet produced inaccordance with the present invention has lower bulk than competitorproducts and matches close on the tensile strength with the airspun webmade by Georgia Pacific even though the basis weight is lower than GP'sAirspun product.

Comparative Example 2

Multiple hand sheets were produced using TAD/ATMOS technology. Thesamples were formed on a dynamic sheet former with basis weight rangingfrom 50 gsm to 70 gsm. The basesheet samples were produced with 70 to100% softwood fibers, 0 to 30% tencel fibers and 0 to 20% hemp fibers.Table 3 compares Example 2 with Comparative Example 2, which is acommercial flushable wipe sold by Kimberly-Clark.

TABLE 3 MD dry Wet % % GPAM Strength, MD wet sheet Cell % SW Hemp TencelSpray, % N/m Strength Stretch % Comparative 80 0 20 0 1252 149.5 17.4Example 2 Example 2A 60 20 20 0 1705 56.9 5.5 Example 2B 60 20 20 0.252105 61.3 3.3

TABLE 4 Wet Strength Sample Ball Burst Maximum Force GSM Bulk CottonelleKleenex K.C 1.275 75 gsm 463.6 Pull-ups Big Kid K.C. 1.4 75 gsm 450.3Example 2B - un-creped 0.7 55 gsm 299.1 Example 2B - creped 0.9 55 gsm308.8

The results summarized in Table 4 suggest that the basesheet produced inaccordance with the present invention has lower bulk than competitorproducts and has lower wet ball burst strength than competitor products,making it easily flushable and dispersible compared to competitorproducts.

Multi-Ply Examples

The following three Examples were performed on two-ply samples formed inaccordance with the present invention and on wipes available from othersources further illustrate advantages of the present invention. Testresults for the examples are listed in Tables 5, 6 and 7 below.

Example 5

A flat pack of 2-ply pre-moistened wipes (30% solids) with dimensions of5.25 inches by 7 inches were manufactured using the wet-laid TAD processand laminated using the DEKO emboss method with a vinyl acetate-ethylenecopolymer binder. The resulting 2-ply product, as shown in Table 5, hasthe following product attributes: Basis Weight 85 g/m², Caliper 0.625mm, MD tensile of 75 N/m, CD tensile of 62 N/m, an MD stretch of 15.5%,and CD stretch of 8%.

The wipe web was formed on a wet laid TAD asset with a twin wire solidC-wrap former with a 3 layer headbox. The furnish to each outer layerwas composed of 50% El Dorado Eucalyptus pulp, 40% Grand Prairie NBSK,and 10% 6 mm Lyocel. The NBSK and Lyocell were co-refined in a conicalrefiner imparting 80 kwh/ton. The center layer was composed of 80% GrandPrairie NBSK and 20% 6 mm Lyocell fiber co-refined in a conical refinerimparting 80 kwh/ton. Three kg/ton of a copolymer of glyoxal (DPD-589from Solenis, 500 Hercules Road, Wilmington Del., 19808) was added tothe co-refined NBSK and Lyocell at the discharge of the refiner. Thefiber and chemicals mixtures were diluted to a solids of 0.5%consistency and fed to separate fan pumps which delivered the slurry tothe triple layered headbox. The headbox pH was controlled to 7.0 byaddition of a caustic to the thick stock before the fan pumps. Theheadbox deposited the slurry to a nip formed by a forming roll, an outerforming wire, and an inner fabric. The slurry was drained through theouter wire, which was a KT194-P design from Asten Johnson of Charleston,S.C., and transferred to a plain weave inner wire. The web was thentransferred to a structured TAD fabric with a 10 shed weave, 0.35 mmwarp and 0.50 mm shute monofilament, at 15% wire crepe. A single slottedvacuum box of 18 mm with 35 kPa of vacuum was used to facilitatetransfer to the structured fabric upon which the web traveled over afour slotted, each at 19 mm molding box, with 80 kPa of vacuum. The webwas dried using two through air drier drums to 90% solids before beingtransferred to a steam heated yankee dryer cylinder. The Yankee dryerhad 18 mg/m² of a PAE based adhesive applied as well as 45 mg/m² of apolyvinyl alcohol and 3 mg/m² of a release oil applied using a doubleoverlap spraybar. The sheet was creped from the Yankee dryer using a 45degree ceramic blade at 98% solids and reeled into parent rolls.

Two wipe parent roll webs were laminated together using embossing in theDEKO configuration (only the top sheet is embossed with binder appliedto the inside of the top sheet at the high points derived from theembossments using a binder supplied by an applicator roll) with thesecond exterior layer of each web facing each other. The top sheetemboss roll was a flat roll with no embossments leading to 100 contactwith the applicator roll. The binder used was a copolymer of vinylacetate-ethylene dispersion purchased from Wacker of Munchen, Germanyunder the product name of VINNAPAS® EP907. The binder was diluted to 25%solids and mixed with boric acid at a concentration of 0.5% to preventthe binder from dissolution when saturated in a wetting solution. Thelaminated wipes were then cut to size and packaged in a wetting solutionto a solids concentration of 30%. The wetting solution was 98% purifiedwater, with the remainder a mixture of humectants, preservatives,moisturizers, surfactants, chelating agents, pH buffer, and aromaticcompounds.

Example 6

A flat pack of 2-ply pre-moistened wipes (30% solids) with dimensions of5.25 inches by 7 inches were manufactured using the wet-laid TAD processand laminated using the DEKO emboss method with a vinyl acetate-ethylenecopolymer binder. The resulting 2-ply product, as shown in Table 5, hasthe following product attributes: Basis Weight 84 g/m², Caliper 0.744mm, MD tensile of 63 N/m, CD tensile of 55 N/m, an MD stretch of 13.4%,and CD stretch of 8.7%.

The wipe web was formed on a wet laid TAD asset with a twin wire solidC-wrap former with a 3 layer headbox. The furnish to each outer layerwas composed of 50% El Dorado Eucalyptus pulp, 40% Grand Prairie NBSK,and 10% 6 mm Lyocel. The NBSK and Lyocell were co-refined in a conicalrefiner imparting 80 kwh/ton. The center layer was composed of 80% GrandPrairie NBSK and 20% 6 mm Lyocell fiber corefined in a conical refinerimparting 80 kwh/ton. Three kg/ton of glyoxalated polyacrylamide(Hercobond 1194 from Solenis of Wilmington, Del.) was added to thecorefined NBSK and Lyocell at the discharge of the refiner). The fiberand chemicals mixtures were diluted to a solids of 0.5% consistency andfed to separate fan pumps which delivered the slurry to the triplelayered headbox. The headbox pH was controlled to 7.0 by addition of acaustic to the thick stock before the fan pumps. The headbox depositedthe slurry to a nip formed by a forming roll, an outer forming wire, andan inner fabric. The slurry was drained through the outer wire, whichwas a KT194-P design from Asten Johnson of Charleston, S.C., andtransferred to a plain weave inner wire. The web was then transferred toa structured TAD fabric with a 10 shed weave, 0.35 mm warp and 0.50 mmshute monofilament, at 15% wire crepe. A single slotted vacuum box of 18mm with 35 kPa of vacuum was used to facilitate transfer to thestructured fabric upon which the web traveled over a four slotted, eachat 19 mm molding box, with 80 kPa of vacuum. The web was dried using twothrough air drier drums to 90% solids before being transferred to asteam heated Yankee dryer cylinder. The Yankee dryer had 18 mg/m² of aPAE based adhesive applied as well as 45 mg/m² of a polyvinyl alcoholand 3 mg/m² of a release oil applied using a double overlap spraybar.The sheet was creped from the Yankee dryer using a 45 degree ceramicblade at 98% solids and reeled into parent rolls.

Two wipe parent roll webs were laminated together using embossing usingthe DEKO configuration (only the top sheet is embossed with glue appliedto the inside of the top sheet at the high points derived from theembossments using an adhesive supplied by an applicator roll) with thesecond exterior layer of each web facing each other. The top sheetemboss roll used a pattern with 12.6% coverage with round elements 0.115inches diameter and 0.135 inches in depth as shown in FIG. 4. The binderused was a copolymer of vinyl acetate-ethylene dispersion purchased fromWacker of Munchen, Germany under the product name of VINNAPAS® EN1267.The binder was diluted to 12.5% solids and cured at 105° C. in a heatedchamber for approximately 15 minutes to prevent the binder fromdissolution when saturated in a wetting solution. The laminated wipeswere then cut to size and packaged in a wetting solution to a solidsconcentration of 30%. The wetting solution was 97.5% purified water,with the remainder a mixture of humectants, preservatives, moisturizers,surfactants, chelating agents, pH buffer, and aromatic compounds

Example 7

A flat pack of 2-ply pre-moistened wipes (30% solids) with dimensions of5.25 inches by 7 inches were manufactured using the wet-laid TAD processand laminated using the DEKO emboss method with a vinyl acetate-ethylenecopolymer binder. The resulting 2-ply product, as shown in Table 5, hasthe following product attributes: Basis Weight 86 g/m², Caliper 0.720mm, MD tensile of 114 N/m, CD tensile of 105 N/m, an MD stretch of16.0%, and CD stretch of 8.48%.

The wipe web was formed on a wet laid TAD asset with a twin wire solidC-wrap former with a 3 layer headbox. The furnish to each layer wascomposed of 80% Grand Prairie NBSK and 20% 4 mm Lyocell fiber co-refinedimparting 80 kwh/ton. 6 kg/ton of glyoxalated polyacrylamide (Hercobond1194 from Solenis of Wilmington Del.) was added to the co-refined NBSKand Lyocell at the discharge of the refiner). The fiber and chemicalsmixtures were diluted to a solids of 0.5% consistency and fed toseparate fan pumps which delivered the slurry to the triple layeredheadbox. The headbox pH was controlled to 7.0 by addition of a causticto the thick stock before the fan pumps. The headbox deposited theslurry to a nip formed by a forming roll, an outer forming wire, and aninner fabric. The slurry was drained through the outer wire, which was aKT194-P design from Asten Johnson, and transferred to a plain weaveinner wire. The web was then transferred to a structured TAD fabric witha 10 shed weave, 0.35 mm warp and 0.50 mm shute monofilament, at 15%wire crepe. A single slotted vacuum box of 18 mm with 35 kPa of vacuumwas used to facilitate transfer to the structured fabric upon which theweb traveled over a four slotted, each at 19 mm molding box, with 80 kPaof vacuum. The web was dried using two through air drier drums to 90%solids before being transferred to a steam heated Yankee dryer cylinder.The Yankee dryer had 18 mg/m² of a PAE based adhesive applied as well as45 mg/m² of a polyvinyl alcohol and 3 mg/m² of a release oil appliedusing a double overlap spraybar. The sheet was creped from the Yankeedryer using a 45 degree ceramic blade at 98% solids and reeled intoparent rolls.

Two wipe parent roll webs were laminated together using embossing usingthe DEKO configuration (only the top sheet is embossed with glue appliedto the inside of the top sheet at the high points derived from theembossments using an adhesive supplied by an applicator roll) with thesecond exterior layer of each web facing each other. The top sheetemboss roll used a pattern with 13% coverage with round elements 0.115inches diameter and 0.135 inches in depth. The binder used was acopolymer of vinyl acetate-ethylene dispersion purchased from Wacker ofMunchen, Germany under the product name of VINNAPAS® EN1267. The binderwas diluted to 25% solids and cured at 105° C. in a heated chamber forapproximately 15 minutes to prevent the binder from dissolution whensaturated in a wetting solution. The laminated wipes were then cut tosize and packaged in a wetting solution to a solids concentration of30%. The wetting solution was 98% purified water, with the remainder amixture of humectants, preservatives, moisturizers, surfactants,chelating agents, pH buffer, and aromatic compounds.

All of the wipes formed in accordance with the present invention anddescribed in Examples 5 to 7 above passed the slosh box disintegrationtest described in INDA FG502. They also passed a dispersion test methodin which a wipe was placed in a 1 liter container filled with 500 ml ofroom temperature tap water, and the container with the lid secured wasshaken for 30 seconds. In both tests, the samples disintegrated asintended.

Table 5 show comparative test results for the products made inaccordance with the present invention that were tested in Examples 5, 6and 7, and for commercially available products identified in the Table.The test results are shown for dry basis weight (i.e., without a wettingsolution), wet basis weight (i.e., after the addition of a wettingsolution), wet bulk, and Dry and Wet MD and CD strength and stretch.

The tests confirm that the present invention is advantageous as itprovides a wet wipe that is strong and stretchable when dry as thesample wipes had a relatively high Dry MD and

TABLE 5 Dry Wet Wet Wet Basis Basis Wet Dry MD Dry MD MD MD Dry CD DryCD Wet CD Wet CD wt wt Bulk Strength Stretch Strength Stretch StrengthStretch Strength Stretch Sample ID (gsm) (gsm) (microns) (N/m) (%) (N/m)(%) (N/m) (%) (N/m) (%) Example 5 84.93 318.88 622.30 826.89 14.61 74.7815.57 797.41 7.09 61.48 8.25 Example 6 83.75 306.80 744.10 647.33 11.3563.27 13.37 629.67 6.55 55.25 8.72 Example 7 86.43 336.87 721.10 >1000n/a 114.51 15.97 >1000 n/a 104.80 8.48 Dynarex-July-Aug 2014 48.97157.90 367.63 312.90  8.66 112.47 21.07 168.58 23.62 56.19 38.71Cottonelle FC-Jan 2015 78.61 237.19 408.73 >1000 n/a 127.60 14.03 522.3412.98 62.79 19.73 Kirkland-Jan 2015 68.51 216.85 468.93 480.47 10.96268.31 30.66 237.48 26.03 157.51 60.83

Table 6 shows air porosity test results for the for the products made inaccordance with the present invention that were tested in Examples 5, 6and 7 as compared to test results for the commercially availableproducts identified in the Table.

The air porosity test results highlight an advantage of the presentinvention. A flushable wipe needs to behave like a conventional bathtissue in the sense that it should sink and keep moving through thepipes, rather than linger in a particular spot where fibers canaccumulate and eventually cause a blockage. The relatively low porosityoffered by product formed in accordance with the present invention thusprevents clogged pipes. By comparison, commercially-available productswith long fiber lengths may be classified as flushable and dispersible,but because of their long fiber lengths which take time to break up andthe high cfm (cubic feet of air per minute) porosity values, they cancause sewer blockages.

TABLE 6 Costco Walmart Flush Kirkland Great Value Away Wipes WipesCottonelle regular Cottonelle refill Ex 5 Ex 6 Ex 7 Test 1 162.00 125.00212.00 334.90 48.00 59.40 25.30 30.80 Test 2 160.00 146.00 187.00 326.0047.90 57.80 25.90 30.90 Test 3 151.00 130.00 207.00 315.00 40.40 29.3025.50 31.80 Test 4 144.00 126.00 206.00 307.00 39.80 55.30 24.20 30.50Test 5 156.00 144.00 210.00 346.00 42.80 56.40 26.30 31.50 Test 6 158.00125.00 183.00 347.00 43.40 55.70 26.50 30.70 average (cfm) 155.17 132.67200.83 329.32 43.72 52.32 25.62 31.03 stdev 6.65 9.75 12.51 16.35 3.5511.38 0.83 0.50

Table 7 shows the length weight weighted (LWW) average fiber lengthfiber for the products made in accordance with the present inventionthat were tested in Examples 5, 6 and 7 and for commercially availableproducts. These measurements were made using the Fiber Quality Analyzer,as described in the Fiber Lengths Measurements test described above. Themanufacturing processes described above are simplified by usingmaterials with relatively short fiber length (as shown in Table 7) forthe wet-laid process so that a stratified headbox can be used. Also, therelatively short fiber lengths avoid clogging and improve dispersabilityas compared to conventional flushable wipes.

TABLE 7 Walmart Costco Great Flush Kirkland Value Cottonelle CottonelleSample Away Wipes wipes regular refill Ex. 5 Ex. 6 Ex. 7 LWW >10 mm >10mm >10 mm >10 mm >10 mm 3.9 mm 3.6 mm 3.6 mm (mm)

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that variousother changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover inthe appended claims all such changes and modifications that are withinthe scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multi-ply flushable wipe comprising: two ormore plies, at least one of the two or more plies comprising: first andsecond exterior layers each comprising at least 50% by weight naturalfibers; and a foam-formed middle layer disposed between the first andsecond exterior layers and comprising synthetic fibers and at least 25%by weight natural fibers, the synthetic fibers having a length withinthe range of 1 mm and 20 mm.
 2. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1,wherein at least one of the first and second exterior layers are foamformed.
 3. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein thesynthetic fibers are non-thermoplastic.
 4. The multi-ply flushable wipeof claim 1, wherein an average fiber length of the multi-ply flushablewipe is less than 5 mm.
 5. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1,wherein the natural fibers comprise fibers of the type selected from thegroup consisting of: softwood fibers, hardwood fibers, elephant grass,nettle, buntal, buri, soybean protein, milvet milk, abaca, bagasse,bamboo, coir, cotton, flax, linen, hemp, jute, kapok, kenaf, pina,raffia, ramie, sisal, oxidized natural fibers and combinations thereof.6. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the synthetic fiberscomprise fibers of the type selected from the group consisting of:acrylic, aramid, para-aramid, meta-aramid, modacrylic, nylon, olefin,polyester, polyethylene, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene,polyester-polyurethane copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride,poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole), polypropylene, ethylene vinylalcohol and combinations thereof.
 7. The multi-ply flushable wipe ofclaim 1, wherein the synthetic fibers comprise semisynthetic fibers ofthe type selected from the group consisting of: regenerated cellulose,rayon, lyocell, polylactic acid, polyvinyl alcohol and combinationsthereof.
 8. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein themulti-ply flushable wipe has a porosity below 40 cfm.
 9. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 8, wherein the multi-ply flushable wipe has abasis weight below 90 gsm.
 10. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1,wherein the multi-ply flushable wipe has a machine direction tensilestrength within the range of 30 N/m to 250 N/m.
 11. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the multi-ply flushable wipe has amachine direction tensile strength within the range of 50 N/m to 150N/m.
 12. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the multi-plyflushable wipe has a cross direction tensile strength within the rangeof 30 N/m to 250 N/m.
 13. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1,wherein the multi-ply flushable wipe has a cross direction tensilestrength within the range of 50 N/m to 150 N/m.
 14. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the multi-ply flushable wipe has athickness within the range of 300 to 1500 microns.
 15. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the multi-ply flushable wipe has athickness within the range of 400 to 1250 microns.
 16. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the at least one ply comprises acombination of softwood fibers and alternate natural fibers.
 17. Themulti-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the at least one plycomprises a combination of softwood fibers and modified rayon fibers.18. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the at least oneply comprises a combination of softwood fibers and renewable polymericfibers.
 19. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the atleast one ply comprises a combination of softwood fibers and water basedpolyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers.
 20. The multi-ply flushable wipe ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one ply comprises a combination ofsoftwood fibers, renewable polymeric fibers and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)fibers.
 21. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the atleast one ply comprises a combination of softwood fibers, modified rayonfibers, renewable polymeric fibers, water-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)fibers and alternate natural fibers.
 22. The multi-ply flushable wipe ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one ply comprises modified rayon fibers atan inclusion rate within the range of 10% to 50% by weight.
 23. Themulti-ply flushable wipe of claim 22, wherein the modified rayon fibersare shaped fibers having tri-lobal or star-shaped cross-sections. 24.The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 22, wherein the modified rayonfibers are viscose rayon fibers.
 25. The multi-ply flushable wipe ofclaim 22, wherein the viscose rayon fibers are lyocell fibers.
 26. Themulti-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the at least one plycomprises water-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers at an inclusionrate of 10% to 50% by weight.
 27. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim26, wherein the water-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers are shapedfibers having tri-lobal or star-shaped cross-sections.
 28. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the at least one ply comprisespolylactic acid (PLA) fibers at an inclusion rate of 1% to 25% byweight.
 29. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 28, wherein thepolylactic acid (PLA) fibers are shaped fibers having tri-lobal orstar-shaped cross-sections.
 30. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1,wherein the at least one ply comprises alternate natural fiberscomprising fibers of the type selected from the group consisting of:abaca, bamboo, coir, flax, linen, kapok, pina, raffia, ramie, sisal,nettle, buntal, buri, cotton, kenaf, elephant grass, jute, hemp, bagassefibers and combinations thereof.
 31. The multi-ply flushable wipe ofclaim 1, wherein a slurry from which the multi-ply flushable wipe isformed comprises additives.
 32. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim31, wherein the additives comprise additives of the type selected fromthe group consisting of: urea formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, polyamide poly amine epichlorohydrin, polyethlyenimine, starch, starchderivatives, aldehyde functionalized starches, chitosan, aldehydefunctionalize polyacrylamides, glyoxalated polyacrylamide, glyoxalatedcopolymer, carboxyl methyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylacetate, polyvinyl amine, polyamide resins, polyacrylamide resins,galactomannan gums, acrylic emulsions, styrene-butadiene latexes, vinylacetate polymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, vinyl chloridepolymers, vinylidene chloride polymers, vinyl chloride-vinylidenecopolymers, acrylo-nitrile copolymers, ethylene-acrylic copolymers,latex emulsions, acrolein copolymers and combinations thereof.
 33. Themulti-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein a slurry from which themulti-ply flushable wipe is formed comprises an enzyme.
 34. Themulti-ply flushable wipe of claim 33, wherein the enzyme comprisesoxidoreductase enzymatic systems.
 35. The multi-ply flushable wipe ofclaim 1, wherein a slurry from which the multi-ply flushable wipe isformed comprises fillers.
 36. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 35,wherein the fillers comprise at least one of calcium carbonateparticles, clay particles or talc particles.
 37. The multi-ply flushablewipe of claim 1, further comprising a cleansing solution.
 38. Themulti-ply flushable wipe of claim 37, wherein the cleansing solutioncomprises glycol based cross-linking chemistry.
 39. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 38, wherein the cleansing solution comprisesanhydrides and epoxy groups.
 40. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim37, wherein the cleansing solution comprises cyclo-dextrins adapted torelease fragrances.
 41. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 37,wherein the cleansing solution comprises at least one of aloe or sheabutter.
 42. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein thecleansing solution is present in the amount of 40% to 80% by weight. 43.The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the multi-ply flushablewipe has a basis weight within the range of 20 gsm to 100 gsm.
 44. Themulti-ply flushable wipe of claim 1, further comprising filler material.45. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 44, wherein the fillermaterial comprises at least one of super absorbent polymers andencapsulated polymers.
 46. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1,further comprising binder between the two or more plies.
 47. Themulti-ply flushable wipe of claim 46, wherein the binder comprises abinder of a type selected from the group consisting of: poly(vinyl)alcohol, poly(vinyl)acetate, poly (ethylene) (vinyl) alcohols, poly(ethylene) (vinyl)acetate, copolymers of vinyl acetate-ethylene, starchbased chemistries and combinations thereof.
 48. The multi-ply flushablewipe of claim 47, wherein the binder further comprises a cross-linkingagent.
 49. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 47, wherein the binderfurther comprises ion sensitive polymers.
 50. The multi-ply flushablewipe of claim 47, wherein the binder further comprises a triggerchemistry.
 51. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 50, wherein thetrigger chemistry comprises boric acid.
 52. The multi-ply flushable wipeof claim 50, wherein the trigger chemistry comprises a trigger saltchemistry.
 53. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 52, wherein thetrigger salt chemistry comprises sodium chloride.
 54. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 1, further comprising a wetting/cleaningsolution comprising purified water and a combination of one or more ofthe following: humectants, preservatives, moisturizers, surfactants,chelating agents, pH buffer and aromatic compounds.
 55. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 1, wherein the two or more plies are heldtogether by embossments.
 56. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 1,further comprising at least one other ply substantially identical instructure to the at least one ply.
 57. A method of forming a multi-plyflushable wipe, comprising: forming two or more plies, each ply beingformed according to the following method: wetlaying first and secondexterior layers and a foam formed middle layer so as to form a web, eachof the first and second exterior layers comprising at least 50% byweight natural fibers and the foam-formed middle layer comprisingsynthetic fibers and at least 25% by weight natural fibers, thesynthetic fibers having a length within the range of 1 mm and 20 mm;imprinting the web with a structured fabric; and drying the web; andattaching the two or more plies together using a binder to form themulti-ply flushable wipe.
 58. The method of claim 57, further comprisingthe step of pre-drying the web after imprinting.
 59. The method of claim57, wherein the step of drying the web comprises a through air dryingprocess in which the web is dried on a steam heated cylinder.
 60. Themethod of claim 59, further comprising the step of removing the driedweb from the steam heated cylinder.
 61. The method of claim 60, whereinthe step of removing comprises creping.
 62. The method of claim 60,wherein the step of removing comprises blowing the dried web off thesteam heated cylinder.
 63. The method of claim 57, wherein the step ofdrying comprises use of a belt press.
 64. A multi-ply flushable wipecomprising: two or more plies, at least one of the two or more pliescomprising: first and second exterior layers each comprising at least50% by weight natural fibers; and a middle layer disposed between thefirst and second exterior layers and comprising synthetic fibers and atleast 75% by weight natural fibers, the synthetic fibers having a lengthwithin the range of 1 mm and 20 mm and an average fiber length (LWW)less than about 4 mm; wherein the wipe has a cross direction wetstrength greater than 20 N/m and the wipe is dispersible.
 65. Themulti-ply flushable wipe of claim 64, wherein at least one of the two ormore plies comprises greater than 80% pulp fibers.
 66. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 64, further comprising a cleansing solution. 67.The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 64, further comprising binderbetween the two or more plies.
 68. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim64, wherein the multi-ply flushable wipe has a porosity below 40 cfm.69. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 64, wherein the multi-plyflushable wipe has a basis weight below 90 gsm.
 70. The multi-plyflushable wipe of claim 64, wherein the multi-ply flushable wipe has amachine direction tensile strength within the range of 30 N/m to 250N/m.
 71. The multi-ply flushable wipe of claim 64, wherein the multi-plyflushable wipe has a machine direction tensile strength within the rangeof 50 N/m to 150 N/m.